I was originally going to call this review "Bohemian,like me" but instead I thought I'd focus on the entire Lush soap range as opposed to just one of them.

This was the one product that started the whole Lush thing off for me,the one thing that turned me into an addict of their products.How was I to know that the package sent to me from my Mum in Glasgow would cause me to spend my cash in this way?

The package contained a single bar of the Lush Red Rooster soap.This smelled both me and my toiletries collection out for weeks.It is a bright red/orange bar smelling strongly of oranges and spices (such as cloves and cinnamon). I definitely suit slightly spicy fragrances,and so I thought I was onto a good thing here.The only problem is that the pieces of cinnamon bark in the bar tend to stick in places you rather they didn't,but this was a small price to pay.The bar is supposed to energise and invigorate; this I feel it achieves very well.It saves me a fortune on matchsticks! (?)

The good thing about Lush soaps is they contain Glycerine (hence the title) as opposed to some of the harsh alkaline fats that other soaps contain.In other words for us sensitive types, whose skins flake at the mere mention of soaps will be in for an easier ride.They seem to moisturise more than anything,and the smell lingers on your skin even up to the next morning.

The Range of Soaps
------------------

There are 12 soaps currently available in the Lush range; these are:

Sea vegetable (lime and lavender: stimulating)

Honey Waffle (honey,honeycomb,ylang ylang and vetivert:tranquilising)

Alkmaar (jasmine and honeysuckle:relaxing)

Red Rooster (orange and cinnamon: stimulating)

Bohemian (very, very lemon:stimulating and refreshing)

Banana Moon (banana:exfoliating and skin softener)

Figs and Leaves (ylang ylang and orange blossom: exfoliating and skin softener)
<
br>Flotsam (seaweed:exfoliating)

Pineapple Grunt (pineapple and vetivert: relaxing and cleanser)

Demon in the Dark (mint,clove and apple:stimulating)

Red Rice Hand and Body Soap (tangerine and cassis:exfoliating and softening)

Ginger Man (ginger:stimulating)


Tried and Tested
----------------

Aside from the aforementioned red rooster,I have tried pineapple grunt and bohemian.Here I shall write my experiences of them:

Do you remember a lemon soap called "zest" in the early to mid '80s?The smell of this is forever etched in my memory,it seemed to be the family favourite when I was a kid.Perhaps it was this which made me part with my hard-earned cash to try some "Bohemian" soap.As said before it is very lemony (in a natural way,not like "zest"),and comes in a two-tone yellow and white bar.It is said that it "zests" away dead skin cells.I don't know whether it does this but it is very refreshing to use and does definitely leave you more lively!

Pineapple grunt has a lovely odour mixed between pineapple and coconut, and feels as if your stepping into a huge pina colada everytime you have a bath with it.It has whole pieces of pineapple in it,which tend to float about.The lather produced is very creamy and makes you daydream of desert islands when you are lazing back.It has a dreamy smell which will get you noticed!It is the ideal soap to use before going to bed.

These bars are all available from Lush mail order,website and their shops.The advantage of buying the bars from the shops is that the assistants tend to cut it to order,from HUGE bars in the shop.You can basically get a piece as big or small as you like.From mail-order the soaps come in 100gram multiples.I find that 100 grams lasts me a good month of daily use.The prices (per 100g) vary between £1.30 for bohemian to £2.50 for Flotsam.most of them tend to be priced at around £1.40


When mail-ordered the bars come wrapped in biodegradable wax paper.If you want to send these bars as a gift then you can buy them brightly cellophane wrapped,although this does work out slightly more expensive.

These soaps are all lovely to use with gorgeous fragrances. Between me and my friends we have tried them all, and they get the thumbs up overall.The problem with the honey waffle soap is it literally smells overwhelming.It literally stank out the entire office!Apparently after a bit of use the smell faded a little bit!These are nice to have,whether as a gift or a treat.They are the cheapest Lush products to try,and it is well worth it.Who knows,you may become an addict like me...